Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurfbv’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Sunsurfbv’, characterized by its compact, outwardly spreading, mounded and decumbent plant habit; vigorous and freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; light lavender-colored flowers with purple-colored venation; long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunsurfbv’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name Sunsurfbv.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventors in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new outwardly spreading Petunias with large andattractive flowers.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventors in August, 2001, of the Petunia cornuta Celebrity Burgundy,not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietaryselection of Petunia cornuta identified as code number P55h, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia was selectedas a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination bythe Inventors in a controlled environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since September, 2003has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sunsurfbv have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsurfbv’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sunsurfbv’ as a new and distinct Petuniacultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, outwardly spreading, mounded and decumbent plant        habit.    -   2. Vigorous and freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Lavender-colored flowers with purple-colored venation.    -   5. Long flowering period.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the female parent, thecultivar Celebrity Burgundy, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more decumbent than plants of        the cultivar Celebrity Burgundy.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia are shorter than plants of the        cultivar Celebrity Burgundy.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Celebrity Burgundy        differ in flower color as plants of the cultivar Celebrity        Burgundy have red purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the male parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more outwardly spreading than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the male parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection        have white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the cultivarRevolution Pinkvein, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,341. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plantsof the new Petunia differed from plants of the cultivar RevolutionPinkvein in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were smaller than plants of the        cultivar Revolution Pinkvein.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Revolution Pinkvein.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Revolution        Pinkvein differed in petal coloration as plants of the cultivar        Revolution Pinkvein had pink-colored petals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsurfbv’ grown in a container.

the photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical flowers of ‘Sunsurfbv’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, in 15-cmcontainers for about four months in an outdoor nursery during the earlysummer with day temperatures about 23° C. and night temperatures about13° C. Plants were pinched one time. Color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Sunsurfbv.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Petunia cornuta cultivar Celebrity            Burgundy, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia            cornuta identified as code number P55h, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at 20° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—About three weeks at 20° C. to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, fleshy; light brown in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Annual flowering plant;            indeterminate; compact, outwardly spreading, mounded and            decumbent plant habit. Viscid and glandular pubescent.            Vigorous growth habit. Freely branching habit with lateral            branches developing potentially at every node.        -   Plant height.—About 12.4 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 52.6 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 23.2 cm. Diameter: About            2.1 mm. Internode length: About 1.7 cm. Texture: Pubescent.            Color: 144B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 4.5 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:            Obtuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; viscid. Venation            pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing and fully            expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; venation, close to            144B. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface:            147A; venation, close to 144B. Petiole length: About 3 mm.            Petiole diameter: About 1.4 mm. Petiole texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Viscid. Petiole color, upper and lower            surfaces: 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers            face mostly upward or outward; axillary. Flowers not            persistent. Freely flowering habit with about 79 flowers and            flower buds per plant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants            flower from spring through late autumn in Japan; flowering            continuous during this period.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five days.        -   Fragrance.—Moderate.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 5.7 cm. Length: About 4.2 cm.            Throat diameter (distal): About 1.1 cm. Tube diameter            (proximal): About 2.7 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 5.7 mm.            Shape: Cylindrical. Color: N92A; towards the apex, 150D.        -   Corolla.—Quantity/arrangement: Five petals; fused,            funnelform. Petal length: About 2.7 cm. Petal width: About            2.7 cm. Petal shape: Very broadly obovate. Petal apex:            Obtuse. Petal margin: Entire; undulate. Petal texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth; satiny. Color: Petal, when            developing, upper and lower surfaces: N155B; venation, 83A.            Petal, fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 77D;            venation, 83A. Flower throat (inside): 83A. Flower tube            (outside): 83A.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals            fused at base, star-shaped calyx. Length: About 1.5 cm.            Width: About 3.2 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,            upper surface: 137B. Color, lower surface: 137C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.4 cm. Width: About 1 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent; viscid.            Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower.            Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther length: About 2.3 mm.            Anther color: 94D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:            98B. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About            1.6 cm. Style length: About 1.3 cm. Style color: 144D.            Stigma shape: Ellipsoidal. Stigma color: 144A. Ovary color:            144A.        -   Seeds.—Seed development has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    noted to be resistant to specific pathogens and pests common to    Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and tolerated    temperatures from 0° to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurfbv’, asillustrated and described.